Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Review

It's been
long since I can say I've actually enjoyed playing a Need for Speed game. Hot
Pursuit was an unbelievably good racing game when it launched on the Playstation
years ago, and it was even better on the PC. For its time, Hot Pursuit was
arguably the best racer on the market and still to this day I find myself coming
back to booting it up on my PC. It has obviously withstood the test of time, but
unfortunately Hot Pursuit's follow ups, High Stakes and Porsche Unleashed
weren't as extraordinary as I'd hoped for them to be. Being a long time Need for
Speed fan, I was rather disappointed with the last two Need for Speed titles.
Ever since I played the original NFS on the 3DO and then on the PSX, I was
hooked. It was the first realistic three-dimensional racer that I played, and it
was the game that got me into the racing genre. The ability to race cars on
rural and suburban streets as if you were a Road & Track editor took
videogame racing to a new level. Ironically enough, the first Need for Speed
game even sported the Road & Track likeness, though it can't be denied that
it was aptly suited. Need for Speed 2, while not as exceptional as the first,
was still a great, fun arcade racer that featured a bunch of stages, cars, and
great Easter egg codes. But of all the five Need for Speeds, Need for Speed 3:
Hot Pursuit (PSX/PC) and Need for Speed: Special Edition (PC only) were easily
the best. So it made sense, when came the announcement, that EA would use the
most popular NFS brand and grant it a true sequel. Hot. Pursuit. 2. That is
exactly what it is. Rekindle your spirits in the NFS series and feel
rest-assured that not only is this the best Need for Speed title, but this is
arguably the best racing game around, second to Gran Turismo 3, of course. Yes,
Need for Speed: HP2 is that freaking good!

When it comes down to the graphics, in a game like
HP2 everything matters, but most importantly the sense of speed and frame rate
are priority. Not only does Hot Pursuit 2 feature a flawless sense of speed, but
it has a fantastic frame rate of 60 to go along with the package. In a game as
furious as HP2, a consistent frame rate is a very crucial thing, as it could
diminish the fun factor. The sense of speed is every bit as crucial as the frame
rate is, and fortunately EA was able to do a stupendous job at creating an
incredible frame rate and adrenaline rushing sense of speed. The sense of speed
in HP2 is easily the best of any racing game to date; it's just that good.
Moving on to the more technical and obvious aspects such as texture detail,
environmental detail, and car detail; rest-assured that NFS: HP2 handles each
one of those categories with ease. For starters, the texturing in the game is
excellent. Every object in the game, including the pavement, sand and dirt, look
sharp and detailed. The ground isn't flat and boring like many other racing
titles, but instead intricate little details can be spotted. When you hit the
dirt on the side of the roads, not only does it create a monstrous dust cloud,
but pebbles and rocks are kicked up as well, if you're behind a car you will
notice it.

The cars themselves look wonderful. The polish on
every body in the game is noticeable, as the cars are texture and modeled
superbly. They do a very nice job of looking just like their real-life
counterparts, and they are also superbly detailed to react to lighting effects,
be it a shadow, or a sunbeam. Not only that, but this time around cars take
damage, which is an option that can be turned on and off. The damage model is
well done; though it isn't extreme, so don't expect to see doors hanging on
loose ends or whatever. The lighting in HP2 is another praise worthy visual
feature in the game, as is the environmental detail -- the track design in
particular. Hot Pursuit 2 features some of the best track designs in a racing
game thus far. Every track is filled with twists, turns, hairpins,
straight-aways, and more. The only downfall to the game's graphics is the
aliasing that takes it toll on the cars, though it isn't that bad, it is there.
Jaggies aside, Need for Speed: HP2 is a gorgeous looking title, with a ton of
visual scenery to awe over.

Cars. Speed. Police. Helicopters. Mines. Speed.
Roadblocks. Speed. Mayhem. Speed. Mayhem. Speed...I think the point has been
made clear. Returning to its true roots, Need for Speed: HP2 has it all.
Everything you wished for has been granted. For starters, the game boasts a
fantastic and huge car lot that spans 50 cars. Not just ordinary cars...cars you
only dream about. Ferrari's, Lamborghinis, BMWs, McLaren F1, Aston Martin,
Corvette, Fords, and many, many more! Every vehicle is a joy to drive and none
of them are annoying or have weird handling tendencies. Getting adjusted to the
game should take no longer than two minutes. The game is so well crafted, that
even a first time NFS gamer could get his grips with the game in no time. I
haven't played a Need for Speed title for God knows how long, and I adjusted to
the controls in a matter of seconds. What makes Need for Speed: HP2 such an
extraordinary title is its simplicity, while at the same time the game offers so
much that it's mind boggling. To kick it off, HP2 includes a kick ass
Championship competition, which is of course to progress through the game and
unlock many of its secrets. But much of the secrets are also unlocked by
accumulating points with the point system that EA went ahead and set up. For
every race you win, you will get a set amount of points (depending on
difficulty, car grid, and lap number). When you reach certain milestones with
your point tally, the announcer of the game (the same one who's been covering
the NFS games since the first) will tell you that you've earned a new vehicle.
Most of the vehicles and tracks are unlocked by competing in the Championship
and Ultimate Race mode. Complete events in the respective modes and you will be
opening new boards to race on.

The Hot Pursuit mode is of course the main
attraction of the game. You can either play as the long arm of the law, or you
can attempt to escape its grip. At first, you will be equipped with a rather
kick ass Ford Crown Victoria cop car, which is pretty much what every law
enforcement agency uses today. But the reason the Crown Victoria kicks ass is
because it features a nitro boost function which makes this game an even sicker
and more adrenaline rushing experience. By pressing down on the Right analog
stick (R3) you will set the nitro off -- this goes for every cop car in the
game. As you progress, gain more points and complete more challenges you will
unlock new cop cars including the Mustang SVT and the grand pappy of them all,
the Lamborghini Murcielago. There is a total of 6 cop cars in the game. As a cop
you have the ability to alert other police officials to drop spike strips, or
set up a roadblock ahead, or if the situation calls for it, call up a chopper to
drop mines on the ground. EA has clearly been listening to the comments that
have been made by the millions of Need for Speed fans out there; bring back the
linear point-to-point courses. EA has done exactly that. Hot Pursuit 2 now has
both circuit and linear tracks to race on, complete with traffic, shortcuts,
alternate pathways, interactive environments, and the works. The multi-player
aspects of Need for Speed: HP2 are fantastic. You have a variety of modes to
play on, though the hot pursuit mode alone makes the multi-player experience
every bit as worthwhile. Electronic Arts has gone all out with the latest Need
for Speed title. It has risen above my expectations and blown me away. The game
plays like a dream, and honestly, I couldn't ask for anything more from the
game.

To my surprise, instead of throwing together a bunch
of techno tracks, as was the case in the previous Need for Speed titles, EA
pulls a 180 and implements a list of licensed music tracks. EA even gave the
compilation of songs a title -- "EA Trax." The soundtrack includes:

Bush - The People That We Love (regular and
instrumental)

Course of Nature - Wall of Shame (regular and
instrumental

Hot Action Cop - Fever for the Flava (regular and
remix)

Hot Action Cop - Going Down On It (regular and remix)

Matt Ragan - Bundle of Clang

Matt Ragan - Cone of Silence

Matt Ragan - Flam Dance

Pulse Ultra - Build Your Cages(regular and
instrumental)

Rush - One Little Victory (regular & instrumental)

The Buzzhorn - Ordinary (regular & instrumental)

Uncle Kracker - Keep it Coming (regular &
instrumental)

The music is
good stuff, but like any soundtrack it can get annoying, or the gamer just won't
like it one bit. Full intact with Dolby Surround Pro Logic 2 support, Need for
Speed: HP2 can be an even more satisfying experience if you have the proper
audio equipment. With Pro Logic 2's 4-channel sound, the engine noises, the
ambience effects, the crashes, explosions, the sirens, and everything else you
can think of that makes a noise, sounds exceptional. The audio in the game is
heavy, loud, clear, and downright awesome. What more do you want?

Controlling Need for Speed, and more importantly,
getting adjusted to the game takes absolutely no time at all. You have a variety
of control options. First of all, you can either play with the classic Need for
Speed handling, or go for something a bit more realistic and not as road griping
-- in other words, slippery. You can set your transmission to automatic, manual,
and even semi-auto. The first two are pretty obvious, though semi-auto is a
mixture of automatic and manual. You'll be able to change gears by yourself or
let the car handle it. Though what's unique about this is that you can lock the
car in a certain gear for a period of time and just cruise around, if you
please. The most obvious inclusion is of course the compatibility of Logitech's
GT Force/Driving Force steering wheel. If you have the wheel, by all means plug
the baby in and play away. It works very well with the game and adds a new level
of fun to the already nearly perfect fun factor.

It took 4 years, but the Need for Speed franchise
has finally been put back on its feet and planted in a new pot of soil. Hot
Pursuit 2 does absolutely everything right. While it's not perfect, this is
about as close to perfect you'll get with an arcade racer. NFS: HP2 is easily
one of the finest racing games to ever grace a console, and in a genre dominated
by Gran Turismo, that's saying a lot. I haven't had this much fun, joy,
excitement, and an adrenaline rush with a racing title in a very long time.
Visually, HP2 is a gorgeous game. Technical jargon aside, the game plays like
everything I wished for it to play like. The sense of speed doubles the whole
experience, and without it the game wouldn't have been as fantastic as it is.
Just look at the Xbox and GameCube versions, they are sub-par and boring titles
because they have a very sluggish sense of speed, not to mention awkward visual
presentation. By now, if you're not convinced that Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
is one of the finest titles of the year and on the PS2, then I don't know what
else to say. Do not pass this game up. Run to your store right now and pick up a
copy of Hot Pursuit 2, if you know what's good for you.